


Day 348

by Josh_the_Bard



Series: A Year in Kirkwall [348]
Category: Dragon Age (Video Games), Dragon Age II
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-15
Updated: 2020-12-15
Packaged: 2021-03-11 04:48:43
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 595
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28079454
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Josh_the_Bard/pseuds/Josh_the_Bard
Series: A Year in Kirkwall [348]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1589257
Kudos: 1





	Day 348

Nalanna carefully labeled the vials of blood with the names of the volunteers. There were eight in total. A variety of human, elven, male, female, enchanter, and apprentice as well as two tranquil visuals to be used as controls.

Thrask was not able to facilitate her escape, none of the pliable templars were. Meredith had almost completely locked down the Circle and she already suspected there was insubordination in the ranks of her templars. No less than four templars from different social circles were allowed to be guarding mages or even tranquil as any given time. Mages were not allowed out of their quarters except when absolutely necessary. Escaping unnoticed during present conditions was impossible. Nalanna had found other ways to make progress on her freedom while she waited for conditions to improve.

With Thrask’s aid she had expanded her research into phylacteries. She had presented Meredith with a proposal to craft multiple phylacteries ber mage, in case of incidents like those in Starkhaven, where mages destroyed their phylacteries in order to escape. The Knight Commander had immediately accepted the proposal.

Evelina was working with Nalanna on the project as there was magic required in the creation of the phylacteries. Their first step was to test if blood could be affected remotely. Any tampering with phylacteries while in the chamber would be detected immediately and would require a mage or templar to sacrifice their life in the process. That was a last resort as Nalanna had not met any in the Kirkwall Circle who were ready to make that sacrifice. She would do it herself if she could trust another with her duty but she could not.

To the extent of Nalanna’s knowledge there was a maximum range to blood magic. A maleficar in and Anderfells could not kill the Queen of Ferelden remotely and Evelina of Huon could not destroy the blood in the phylacteries from outside the chamber. Huon had learned a technique from his demon patron that would allow blood to be connected magically upon the creation of a phylactery. Thus blood could be affected as though it were still flowing in the veins of the mage from whence it came. The main difficulty was allowing Evelina the space to refine the technique while under the watch of the templars.

Nalaana watched, ready to take notes as Evelina made her latest attempt. She separated blood form a single mage into two different vials and cast her enchantment over them. Nalanna took one to the far side of the rooms and Evelina cast a minor spell using the blood from the vial Nalanna held without damaging the other blood. Nalanna could tell Evelina was having difficulty masking her emotions triggered by their success. An Advantage to Nalanna’s current condition was she no longer had any physical indicators of her inner thoughts. It made her continued deception easier.

This was their first success. Nalanna would require at least two more before she was confident Evelina had grasped the technique. Then they would need to increase the distance between vials and find success while the phylacteries were in an area of magical suppression. Then they would need to craft and hide phylacteries for all the mages who would be a part of their escape attempt and replace the existing phylacteries. To do all this without being discovered would take time and care. Perhaps years. Nalanna was unbothered by the prospect. Corypheus had been held in his prison for a thousand years, the likelihood of his escaping in before she could warn the Wardens was low.


End file.
